


Worth The Wait

by thearcherballet



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, Soulmate AU, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-23
Updated: 2015-08-23
Packaged: 2018-04-16 18:49:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4636275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thearcherballet/pseuds/thearcherballet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's not enough to be a wizard, have magical powers, the Soul Marks branded a certain group of people once they turned 17. <br/>A sort of push from fate or whatnot towards the person you're supposed to end up with for the rest of your life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Worth The Wait

**Author's Note:**

> it's not beta'd or anything, i did this on a whim for hpshipweeks and for Ani, my one true love.

The Seventh Year Hufflepuff dorms usually were a complete and utter mess. Yellow scarves, random pairs of shoes, and balls of parchment where there were once going to be written assignments, letters, or even lists, cluttered almost every inch of surface. Except the beds of course. Those were mostly for sleeping. Though as of late, some people weren't even deigning sleeping in them.

The vast majority of them already had their Marks.

It's not enough to be a wizard, have magical powers, the Soul Marks branded a certain group of people once they turned 17.

A sort of push from fate or whatnot towards the person you're supposed to end up with for the rest of your life.

So Hufflepuffs go out with the people they have at the moment, hoping and praying that their partner gets the same mark.

It could get a bit desperate, the search for your soulmate.

Some people got driven to the point of obsession, a desperate need to find the one with their accompanying Soul Mark.

Albus couldn't fault them really. But if fate decides to brand you, then wouldn't destiny also help you find them, one way or another?

He sighed, stepping over a pile of dirty pants that very obviously didn't belong to him, his skinny legs would get lost in the hugeness of them.

He had to wriggle off a couple of pieces of parchment from his damp feet on his way to his bed, quite possibly the tidiest in the room. After Scorpius' that is.

Even though he's been missing most nights this month from his bed, he always managed to have the cleanest corner of the room. His desire to be prim showed in the folded socks that lay on the corner of his bed.

Albus couldn't fault him that either.

However, Scorpius was getting desperate too. After getting his Soul Mark, he started going through a variety of "partners", looking for "something that could break even fate's design" according to him, but Albus knew it was in vain. He was just another person looking for his companion.

Albus though, he wouldn't seek them out. Whoever it was that would end up with him would have to like him for who he is, and with that comes the attention packaged with being the son of a Wizarding Hero.

Scorpius understood. He knew what it was like to be in the spotlight, even when his spotlight was considerably less flattering, being the son of an Ex-Death Eater. Scorpius' entire school life had been about proving everyone that he wasn't bad, he was friendly, and funny, and actually the most cunning Hufflepuff the house had seen.

"Courtesy of my father, something good had to come out of those Slytherin genes," he'd laughingly say, his improper dimples showing as he grinned.

Albus had been confused when he was first sorted into Hufflepuff. Carrying the names of a Gryffindor and a Slytherin made him think twice about whether or not a name was as powerful as the virtues and flaws you carried inside.

Those thoughts were stopped by the kind smile Scorpius had given him at the Great Hall's table.

Now, he had to think twice about Scorpius. He'd gotten great at compartmentalizing his feelings for his best friend. It wouldn't be a great thing start thinking about kind smiles, or comforting touches, or supple lips, or-

Stop.

He wasn't going to start fighting his feelings today. Not on his birthday. He'd know if he was branded or not. He really hoped not.

(But he really hoped he'd get the same freckled swirl that appeared on a certain someone's pale belly, around his navel.)

Albus dried his hair with his fluffy grey towel, mussing up his dark tresses.

As he threw the towel over the rail of his canopied bed, he heard a sharp intake from the door.

Turning around, he found himself face-to-face with his best friend, holding his polished shoes in one hand, and his house tie in the other. His face looked haggard, like he hadn't slept at all last night, but he still somehow managed to look good. Great, as a matter of fact.

Albus frowned at his prolonged staring, "What?"

Scorpius shook his head, muttering under his breath and walking toward his own bed. Albus fished for a shirt to throw on, and Scorpius seemed to be rummaging around his trunk for something.

"Happy birthday," Scorpius said, his pitch going higher than was necessary, or normal if Albus would be honest with himself. "I got you something but I can't seem to- Aha!" He held up a small box, and after sitting in his bed, he threw the present at Albus. He caught it, right eyebrow flying up in question.

"You didn't have to, mate," he replied.

Scorpius shrugged. "I wanted to. Besides, what sort of friend would I be, ignoring your seventeenth birthday?"

Albus snorted, a shy smile in place. "A pretty shite one at that."

He ignored Scorpius' scandalized 'Oi!' in order to open the properly wrapped box with ginger fingers.

He laughed at the gift inside. "Well, it's no Jelly Bean bag with only strawberry flavored ones inside."

" _That_ , was a great present, don't give me that," Scorpius said affronted, attempting to throw a shoe at Albus, who snickered from his bed.

He held the plain-looking pin that his friend had given him. "It's a magical pin," Scorpius said with a smug grin, and Albus had to look away.

"I think I got that," he said dryly, turning it around in his hands, holding it close to his face to examine it.

Scorpius crossed the room and leaned against one of Albus' bed posts. "You can tell it for what Quidditch team you want to cheer for, not just Professional Quidditch teams, but also Hogwarts houses. I know how much you hate having to cheer for houses because you have family in all of them."

Albus nodded, keeping his gaze down so he wouldn't be able to show how touched he actually was. Cheering for James on Gryffindor while he was playing against Lily on Ravenclaw was painful for him.

"Thanks, mate," he said, with a small smile.

“It’s nothing, anything for you,” Scorpius shrugged, like it truly was nothing, because Albus is his mate. Just that. Right.

“So, uh, have you found any Mark on you yet?” he added, rubbing at the back of his neck, but Albus just shook his head.

“No, I checked, at least, I haven’t gotten anything yet? I probably won’t even get a Mark,” Albus chuckled nervously without meeting his friend’s eye.

Scorpius reached out and flicked his earlobe, which only made Albus pout at him. “Don’t worry lad, I’m sure you’ll get one!” Scorpius grinned as he walked back to his side, the crunch of paper under his feet accompanying him. “And who knows, maybe it’ll be someone you know.”

Albus was about to respond when a burning sensation near his abdominal region overtook him, making him double in pain.

“Shite, are you alright there?” Scorpius hurried over, throwing whatever he’d had in his hands on the floor and kneeling in front of Albus. “Al, talk to me!” he said louder, desperately, grabbing his face searching for an answer. Albus grasped at his own shirt, trying to rip it off to find the source of his agony. He clutches his abdomen, which gets Scorpius’ attention.

He winces as Scorpius slowly pries his fingers out of the way, without noticing the fact that his pain was subsiding with the brush of Scorpius’ fingertips against his skin.

“Shite, oh shite,” Scorpius gasped, his gaze confusedly staring at Albus’ stomach.

“What?” Albus finally panted, and looked down. “Shite!”

Scorpius met Albus’ stare, his blonde lashes shining as he looked at him in a way Albus had never seen him look at anyone before.

“It’s you,” Scorpius whispered, his fingertips still caressing his delicate skin.

Albus couldn’t breathe, Scorpius was tracing a spiral against his stomach, and he was overwhelmed. His throat felt like it was closing up, his heart racing faster than James on his Quidditch broom. His face felt warm and he wanted to run away crying.

Until Scorpius lifted a hesitant hand to his face.

“Of course, of course it’s you,” he declared surely.

Albus pressed his hand against Scorpius’.

“It’s me,” Albus said, an air of finality enclosing them as Scorpius leaned forward and kissed his lips.

With the glide of their lips, Albus tasted sweet relief, his own mixed with his mate’s. Scorpius. His Soulmate. As he swiped the tip of his tongue against Scorpius’ bottom lip, he hoped he could express all the want he’d felt swirling at the bottom of his gut anytime he even thought of him. He hoped it expressed _It’s me, it’s always been me_ in the most loving way possible.

When they separated, his smile was worth the wait. Destiny played its cards quite well, if Albus could say.

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> did u like it? hate it? tell me.


End file.
